Can I Be Your Second Mom?

On the road, I was scared, extremely scared. I could feel darkness all over. But then I felt the warm hand tighten its grip on mine. That was like being in the arms of my father during a cold night. Out of fear I held his hand tightly with my other hand and kept on praying.

The road was in its darkest state and the headlights had to be turned on.

I had heard of typhoons traveling with great speed but on this occasion something occurred.

The typhoon was right behind us. But all of a sudden…

"Big news!" The high schooler ran downstairs after catching a signal and receiving the shocker.

"What is it again?" Jang Sik's wife asked. She was already tired from all the anxiety.

With a smile, he exclaimed, "The typhoon… has stopped!"

"What?" Everyone wondered if he was telling the truth.

"Hey, are you kidding?" His mom, Jang Sik's sister asked.

"Look! It went back. The typhoon is gone", he said as he showed them the news.

"How come?" Jang Sik asked and he replied, "It just happened."

After deciphering the message clearly, Jang Sik stood up and shouted with joy: "The typhoon is gone! Hurray!"

"Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!" The whole town turned from gloom to merrymaking.

But as they were all jumping in joy, Jang Sik's grandma asked: "What about the kids? Hope they are safe?"

That cut the celebration momentarily. But after Jang Sik's kids had seen what was coming from afar, they ran back inside and made the report.

With their little voices, they said in unison: "Mom, dad, grandmother, there they come!"

"Who is coming?" Their father asked.

"Two cars: a taxi and a posh car", they replied. Everyone ran out to see what they were talking about. But they were met with a super speeding encounter.

"Wow, that is an insane speed. Get out of the way!" Jang Sik instructed a friend who was in the middle of the road. He speedily jumped to the other side and escaped the fiery power of Jin Ho's car.

The kids watched the two vehicles park after driving at top speed and said: "Wow! They were faster than a bullet."

Both cars made a halt and we were yet to step out when we heard the noise. The merrymaking had come back to life.

"Mother, they made it!" Jang Sik raised his loud voice and everyone jubilated.

Our cars were surrounded by a happy mob and we had to step out at this point. But with the crowd around us, it wasn't going to be easy.

Even Ra Ra was marveled by the sight she was seeing. She stepped out and opened the trunk of the taxi. She then asked the neighbors to help her take the body out. The driver woke a few minutes later and everyone stared at him with deadly eyes.

"So you were the one who was responsible for my wife's panic? Do you know how many wrinkles she obtained during the process?" Jang Sik and the driver kept apologizing.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. The truth is that I knew nothing about the typhoon. Please forgive me", he continued pleading with us.

"What should we do to him?" Jang Sik's sister asked and Ra Ra stepped forward.

"I will handle him", she replied confidently and everyone clapped for her.

As a town known for its hospitality, it wasn't surprising that a few minutes later, a table had been set before us with a whole load of side dishes for feasting.

"Eat a lot!" Jang Sik's sister, who was the head of cooking said as we all replied: "Thanks for the food."

Jin Ho however stepped outside and I could tell that something was off with him. He was faster than lightning with his movements and I couldn't locate him. I walked through an alley and saw someone in a corner. I tiptoed back as I craned my neck to see who it was. Getting a better look at him, I realized who it was. But he was crying.

"Hey, Jin Ho, are you okay?" I asked as I ran towards him. He turned his face away and replied: "Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure that everything is fine?" I asked. He looked at me and the tears were no longer visible.

"Why are you here?" He asked. I wondered if he was really crying or if I saw things wrongly. Yet still, I had to answer his question.

"I came to say thanks. And also that I'm sorry", I replied to him.

"What for? What are you sorry for?" He asked.

I squatted before him and looked right into his eyes. After which I said: "You got scared because of me. I know how that feels like. That's why I'm sorry for burdening you so much."

"Take it back", he said and got me confused. "What?"

"Do you think I ran all the way there because you were a burden?" He asked me and got up. Without uttering another word, he left me by myself.

After standing up, I walked out of the alley and asked myself, "Why is he angry?"

"Understand him. He lost his parents in a similar manner", a voice said out of the blue.

"Who are you?" I asked as my heart jumped out of its location. I turned around and saw that it was the guy who accompanied Ra Ra.

"Sorry for the late introduction. I am Virel", he apologized.

The name was so foreign to me that I had to confirm what I had heard. "What? Vinegar?" I asked embarrassingly.

"Virel", he corrected.

"Ah, Vikings", I heard wrongly once again.

"Just call me V", he said. He should have said that from the start.

Walking with him, I asked him: "I thought Jin Ho was an orphan from birth?"

"That's true. But surprisingly, he remembers what happened that day. Though he was a baby, that day has not erased from his head. It is as if that memory had to stay for a reason. I'm sure what happened reminded him of that dark past", he revealed.

"I didn't know", I muttered to myself. And my curiosity drove me to further ask, "How exactly did his parents die?"

As I sat alone in my room, I thought about Virel's words. He replied to my question by saying: "Jin Ho's parents died in a car accident on a rainy day. He remembers how his mom died but remembers little about his dad."

Ra Ra came in and said with enthusiasm: "Amy, you can't believe this. I just got freebies from Miss Jang."

Without paying attention to her, I stood up and told her: "Ra Ra, I would be right back."

"Okay", she replied, but after I had left, she asked herself: "Did Amy just ignore me?"

Right then, she heard a knock on the door. "Guess she's back to her senses", Ra Ra said as she went to get the door. But after opening it, she noticed that I wasn't the one knocking on the door.

"V, what are you doing here?" Ra Ra asked as she saw him standing behind the door. Of course, he wasn't searching for me but for the one who opened it.

"You did well. I thought that I had to tell you that", V said.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" She asked and V was quite surprised with her countering move.

Yet, he was brave enough to explain. "The driver. I heard that thanks to you he wasn't sent to prison. I heard his story as well, he didn't really know about the typhoon. He just wanted money for his son's surgery quickly. That's why he worked no matter the situation", he replied.

"So what?" Ra Ra asked.

"You are similar to that driver", V was being honest.

"What?" She asked back.

V said what I had never said to my friend. He told her: "Don't create a wall around you. And don't be shy to ask for help. If you won't ask anyone, ask me, I am ready to help you."

He then bowed to her and turned about. But before he could leave the hallway, she asked him: "Why are you doing this?"

He returned and replied saying: "Because everyone needs someone. And you… need to be comforted. I will be that friend who always comforts you."

Those words stayed in my friend's mind for a long time.

Darkness approached as I searched all over the place for Jin Ho, but I couldn't find him. He wasn't with Jang Sik, neither was he with Virel nor was he with the kids.

"Where could he be?" I wondered and saw his car outside. The day had gone by quickly thanks to the merrymaking but he had been quite invisible.

I then spotted the car he drove. I didn't know whether the car was his or Virel's but something told me to examine it closely. I did and found him inside. Walking over to the hatchback, I knocked on the window. He raised his head up from the steering wheel and saw me. Knowing how stubborn I was, he unlocked the door and I entered.

Once I was in, I said: "I'm sorry."

"Don't", he stopped me. "Are you meant to say sorry all the time?" He asked. I had nothing to say and he asked me: "Do you want to know why I saved you?"

I had a feeling that it was linked to his dark past, hence I told him: "If saying it would make you feel uncomfortable then there's no need to."

"Because you remind me of her", he revealed.

"Who?" I asked.

"My mom. You remind me of her. Your voice, your smile, your apologies. Fragile inside but strong outside, that's how my mom was. She died in a car accident and I saw her pass away before my eyes. That memory is so vivid. When I heard that you were in danger, I thought I would be losing my mom for the second time. It drove me crazy and like a fool, I didn't care about death. All I cared about was saving you. So never apologize to me, never feel sorry before me and always be happy. I like it when you are cheerful", he explained.

Tears were welling up in my eyes but I wanted to control it. He looked so strong when coming to save me but he wasn't.

"Jin Ho, can I be your second mom?" I asked him. He looked at me without answering and I added, "Don't hold it back. If you want me to always smile, then don't conceal your emotions from me. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to laugh, laugh. If it hurts, say it."

"Who says I want to cry?" He tried to brush my question aside.

"I will leave now. You can cry if you want to", I said and opened the door.

However, before I could step out, he said: "Don't go. Can you be my mom… now?"

I closed the door and looked at the pitiful grown-up before me. I leaned forward and slowly brought him into my arms. For the first time in a long time, Jin Ho had someone to cry on. His tears were so sad that I ended up shedding some drops as well.

INSIDE STORY

When Jin Ho was little, there was one mystery about him. Everytime his classmates, neighbors and adopted family member saw him, only one question came into mind.

"Does he cry?" They would ask. Despite knowing the pain he always went through, never had they seen him cry.

But in recent days, it seems like his soft spot had now possessed him.